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works of the young and talented to the whole world.

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An independent magazine aimed at bringing the works of the young and talented
to the whole world. Believing in ideas, thoughts and concepts, Garde Magazine
follows the principle of simplicity and honesty.

5 tips to get your
creative career started
For crazy and quirky creators out there

Movie Review
The Babadook
David Madsen

Story teller
ODKST
Kuro Ex Machina

Editorial
We have started to talk to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
fresh graduates, which is an extremely creative
process for us. It is truly an exciting moment
because we get to hear and see all sorts of new
ideas that never fail to surprise us.
First of all, please allow us to express
our gratitude to Maria Evrenos, who helped us
go to a lot of graduation shows in London and
dig out a lot of hidden gems in the UK.
Among the fantastic creators in this
issue, we have Clarissa and Melissa, who are
both Communication Design graduates. They
have different directions of creativity and have
expressed it in very interesting ways, as you will
see!
David, back on the Movie Review
track, shares his insight on scary movie: The
Babadook. As he said, the movie is f---ed up in
positive ways, we guarantee there are no graphic
materials.
Lastly, ODKST, continuing Kuro Ex
Machina part 2 as the finale of this issue, updated the serialisation of his first English novel.
Round of applause!
As always, we have been trying to
provide as much content as possible for your
enjoyment and hope to hear your feedback. We
thrive on your criticism and compliments.
Our last wish: have a happy reading!
Cleo & Natasha

Clarissa Brade
Communication
design

Hide and seek

Clarissa Brade designs 2-dimensional graphic
works with no high-end technology, yet she manages to
blend interactivity into her works that carefully challenge
the attention of viewers.
Clarissa is a Communication Design student who
originally would have studied animation. However, her
tutors in the University of Birmingham talked her out of
it and she went for her second choice – illustration.

Her project, called “The Hidden,” is tropical
themed, but rather than using the expected colourful shades of vibrant nature, she used
black and white.
“Monochrome has been a style used
by many artists for years. I decided
to use monochrome after I realised
that colour wasn’t as appealing as
black and white when light hits the
pieces,” said Clarissa.
She uses ink and dip pen to
draw on hot-press paper, she explained. “They [the tools] allow me
to express myself with my design. The

uncertainty of thickness of lines drawn
is interesting. It helps me to think of the
next shape with a slight unconsciousness
as every shape or pattern will never be
identical.”
Despite their usefulness and elements of surprise, her tools also come
with some difficulties. The biggest challenge of the project is smudging and
avoiding spillage, she said.
Asking about the idea behind “The
Hidden” project, Clarissa admitted she was
a big fan of Where’s Waldo (or Where’s
Wally) and instead of hiding
a man with a striped t-shirt
between the bold and daring
black lines of her project,
has hidden butterflies, cocoons and extra fish.
For the main
image, she used tiger
fishes, which is a
species of fish
that are be-

coming more popular in one of the places
she has lived in – the Caribbean Sea.
“Although tiger fishes are not Caribbean
fishes, they have become more and more
common amongst the waters in the Caribbean. I was intrigued by their stripes and
spines, which allowed me to create a great
pattern. I have hidden four fishes within
one image because I want my audience to
have fun while looking at it.”
“I like interactivity within my
work,” she added. “Instead of someone
standing in front of a work and thinking
‘oh that’s nice’ and moving on, I love to

“They [the tools] allow me to express
myself with my design. The uncertainty
of thickness of lines
drawn is interesting.
It helps me to think
of the next shape
with a slight unconsciousness as every
shape or pattern will
never be identical.”

Clarissa Brade - The Hidden
When I was little I was a fan of those American
posters Where is Waldo. That idea is incorporated
within some of the work you may find hidden
butterfly’s, maybe a cocoon or extra fishes.

surprise the audience who stands in front of a work and
show them the possibility of displaying more than what
is shown.” Her signature is hiding little things within her
ink works, she said.
As inspiration for her greater works, Clarissa
focuses on little but unique details that could be made
into patterns. Rather than artificially made patterns, she
appreciates the beautiful works from nature, considering
them to be more valuable.
She has also received a lot of positive feedback
from viewers who saw her works in different settings
and have discovered different creatures in her works.
She was even encouraged to sell her design and get it
made into products.
As most of the communication design projects
are mainly printed, Clarissa’s wish is to print her illustration on home wares such as shower curtains, tea cups,
plates and vases.
“What you see are just photographs. I am currently researching for manufacturers so the home-ware
pieces not yet available to be sold,” said Clarissa.
Unexpectedly, Clarissa’s dream is to work for
Disney. She then said that “being my own boss and to
be well known” would make her happy enough.
When asked about her long term plan, Clarissa
said, “I want to be relevant and to be known for what I
love. I would love to work in the field of communication design and gain more experience. Maybe passing
on my knowledge and experience to others too.”

melissa delteil
Communication design

Shouldering the
responsibility of
communication

Melissa Delteil is a
creator with lots of interests
and ambition. She has studied and gathered knowledge
about history, psychology
and biology for her projects.
Her interest lies in anthropomorphic figures in terms
of design. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, she
sees communication design
as an altruistic subject and
hopes to help others.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to create
designs with positive impact. It could be educative
design, help for the disabled or simply
an accessible, well-designed and fun
project,â&#x20AC;? she said.
To Melissa, communication
design is a wider form of visual com-

munication. It is based on the same
principles of finding the right tone and
the right media to convey a message,
but communication design takes into
account many new forms of communication.

I just couldn’t ignore the
wider field of design and
communication.”
Her projects are in
different formats: illustration, online, animation,
voice-over videos and even
flags along streets. When it
comes to choosing, Melissa
said “moving images and
interactivity” would go to
the top of the list.

“I have been fascinated
since a very young age by the way
associating certain fonts, colours
and images could create a mood or
convey an idea. Even though I was
primarily attracted to illustration,

“They require viewers to actually look and
even interact and think. I love the
idea of making people stop and
start looking, instead of just passing
by and subconsciously absorbing
images,” she said.

Her graduation project “Entre chien
et loup” challenges audiences’ observation
and reflection. Based on scientific imagery
and mythical figures, Melissa was looking at
the anxiety towards bio-engineering and manipulating DNA, and I’ve come to discover a
more generalised fear towards the anthropomorphic figure. One can see the images of
human and animal overlapped.
Other than biological knowledge, Melissa said she learnt even more from the project. She had to arrange the extensive project
from researching, printing, voicing-over,
preparing images and so on.

ping and watching your screens and reading
your book rather than displaying a flat mockup. I had so much positive feedback and
interaction, the time and energy spent were
largely rewarded.”
There were two other projects Melissa designed with her memories, especially
“Thonon: Vous êtes ici.” By giving colours
and signals, the project provided a new way
for tourists and habitants to view the city in
a different way.

“But in the end nothing is more
rewarding than an accomplished project, so
this is what I’ve learnt: never let go.”

“Thonon relates to me very much:
I was born and raised there, until my 18th
birthday! I have a strange love/hate relationship with this town. I love it because it’s my
hometown, but it can be a very un-friendly place (of course I hope my project will
change that!)”

“It’s much better to see people stop-

Currently, Melissa is working on

Melissa Delteil - Entre Chian et Loup
“Entre chien et loup” is a French expression used to describe dusk, that moment of the day when it is neither day or night. It
literally translates into “between dog and wolf ”, as it is the point where it becomes impossible to distinguish domestic and wild,
light and dark. “Entre chien et loup” is about the uncanny in-between, the shifting instant, the fragile balance between human
and animal.
Entre Chien et Loup is an ambitious art project about human fear when it comes to animals, in relation to various scientific
fields: psychology, bio-engineering, breeding…
The artwork in itself consists of four images, four human-animal hybrids slowly shifting and morphing. Each hybrid family, or
specimen, refers to a specific human fear. The specimens are Predation, Disease, Brutality and Phobia.
On May 14th 2015, Entre Chien et Loup won the John O’Connor Annual Student Prize.

an interactive children e-book which
contains sounds, illustrations and interaction. Being supported by Stuart M.
Souter, the voiceover actor of Uncanny Adventures of Dr. Ferretson, she is
determined to produce the project in a
larger extent.
Yet this is not the end for her,
she said she had an even more ambitious
project in her mind for a while.
“I want to make affordable
children books for the blind. They’re
usually very expensive because they’re
handmade and require a lot of work and
materials. But I’m hoping new technologies like laser cutting and 3D printing
will help me create a book in which
blind children will be able to touch the
illustrations, and that parents or associations could get at a fair price.”

Melissa Delteil - Thonon: Vous etes ici
The town of Thonon’s thermal water and location right between the Alps and Lake Geneva, close to the
Swiss border makes a tourist destination. However after 1960 and the demolition of most of its historical
centre and the construction of the Rénovation district it lost its character.
Importantly, over the last twenty years there has been a general discontent from the inhabitants and
negative feedback from the tourists.
The concept is to place each and every person at the center of the signage system. The solution, using a
Pantone range, has been developed as an identity and information system revolving around a geometric
shape module. The shape itself is inspired by the mountains and the local architecture. It can be used as
an arrow or a decorative element.
The ‘colour wheel’ created for Thonon can also be used as a compass: each arrow indicates a direction,
and its colour refers to a theme. It is used as if the viewer were at the centre of the wheel and looking
around. A cardboard wheel can be spun and a little cut out arrow will indicate a colour referring to a
tour or trail. This is the colour compass.
The colours can be applied to signage accordingly to themes relevant to the street, building or structure
where the sign is introduced. This allows an in-depth and quick visual understanding of the identity of
the location, and it brings back the original colours of Thonon in a new, exciting way.

Melissa Delteil - The Uncanny Adventures of Dr.
Ferretson
The Uncanny Adventures of Dr. Ferretson is a
self-initiated story, intended as a digital publication aimed at children 10 years and older.
Each episode comes in the form of an animated
book, complete with text and a voice over, compatible with portable devices.
The first episode revolves around a sausage dog.
Humour comes from visual jokes around the
ridiculously impossible length of the dog, or the
written puns based on the words “sausage dog”
and “sausage roll”.

What is it...

interior
&
spatial
design
by
yuki teraoka

My design career
started when I was a high
school student learning graphic
design. However, I always have
been interested in 3 dimensional designs. I decided to enroll
in the University of the Arts
to study FDA Interior design
2012, which mainly focused
on practical and professional work. I still remember the
excitement and being full of
curiosity at the very beginning
of the course. Everything was
entirely mysterious to me since
this was the first time studying
abroad in Europe.
The projects I encountered in my first year were
nothing to do with the interior
design that I was thinking of.
Instead of designing spaces, I
was asked to take a photograph
of a space and talk about how
I perceived the space. Even
the next project barely had to
do with interior design. I was
asked to create an object by
re-appropriating my childhood
memory. It was rather a fine art
than interior design I thought.
However, as I studied
more in the course I started
to see more dimensions. I
found that designing interiors
is not only about rearranging
the object in a box, but also
understanding the importance
of handling invisible elements

such as sound, light and shadow, memory and consciousness, laws and rules, etc. It
is a design with more than 3
dimensions! So I experimented
on hidden dimensions, which
enhanced the overall spatial
experience.
During my second year
my First group project was a
community project to design
the public space located in
Dalston with the Decorators
and Hackney council to enhance the social interaction
among locals. We immediately
found out that most of the
green space available was for
private access only. We then
proposed a solution for that
by providing them a park (a
platform) which allowed them
to design their temporary
private space, inspired by a
sliding tile puzzle. I also added a digital interaction in this
project by creating a design
simulation game, which can be
uploaded onto social networks
to enhance social activities like
holding pattern design competitions of the park.
My second project
was to design the interior for
the student accommodation
located on the Stratford high
street, which is right next to
the Olympic Park. Although
it was once a lively place, it is

almost abandoned due to an insufficient attraction
for living. Therefore we decided to create a design to
revive the local area.
We came up with this alien parasite-like
plants design concept, which takes the existing building as a host to grow within the building. In order to
see this idea through, we decided to design sensory
illusions by using an existing material to recreate the
imagined environment. This was challenging because
it was rather experimental, but l have learnt a lot
about sensory interactions from it.
I started to get more interested in the theoretical approach after graduating. I had a choice to
bridge to the final year of the BA interior and spatial
design. I took this great chance in order to be educated more in a theoretical and research approach.
For my final year in BA, I got interested in
elements which are more accessible in the virtual
world. Such elements like political speech and anti
governmental opinions spread faster on the net than
in physical society. This made me curious about
â&#x20AC;&#x153;What will happen if I brought a virtual system
into our physical society?â&#x20AC;? Therefore I proposed a
system of data encryption that hacks the existing
censorship (based on the laws) to demonstrate the
virtual data in our physical society. This way, we can
retrieve true human rights from the higher power.
From this project I learnt that not only will
design solutions make places fancier, decorative or
high tech, but rules/ systems can also be influential.
It is indeed invisible but the result does appear physically.
Throughout three years, this course gave
me more questions about space than ever before.
Ultimately, spatial design is a design of life, since
if there is no space there would just be a void and
because space exists, we perceive reality. That is why
I think this course opened up my mind to millions
of possibilities for my design career. I will continue
to pursue the potential and meaning of the spatial
existence.

The horror genre is at an interesting place right
now. While mainstream horror for the past decade has
stagnated, only giving us few, truly iconic series to look
back at with dread and horror, the independent scene
has exploded in a sea of both some truly exciting homage’s and original ideas.
Of course, the fact that the smaller budget
films of this particular genre are at the front of innovation isn’t exactly a new thing. But it seems more
adamant now than before nonetheless. That may be
because we haven’t really had a big horror series since
Paranormal Activity. This has given a lot of room for
smaller titles to breathe and try out new ideas. Seemingly most of them have clung to the good old haunted
house and possession subgenres that proved so popular
with the aforementioned Paranormal Activity, but most
of them have come up with their own unique spin on
these well worn genres.
This leads us to today’s review of the critically
acclaimed, Australian produced: The Babadook. It is in
part a possession film, in part a psychological thriller
with a heavy focus on atmosphere building and mood
and seems almost smugly proud of the fact, that it basically doesn’t contain a single jump scare.
The main plot of the film is that the widowed
mother, Amelia, spawns an ancient demon, the titular
Babadook, by reading a bedtime storybook for her
6-year old son, Samuel, a demon that then starts to
haunt the small family with the ultimate goal being that
the mother takes the life of her own son and herself.
The general focus of the film however is the continued exploits of Samuel and the spiraling sanity of his

I love a film that dares to be more than
just the sum of its parts. The problem
is that this analogue is so heavy-handed and so much of the film is dedicated
to it, it stands in the way of what could
have been an amazing possession film.

stressed out mother.
These exploits consists of Samuel protecting his
mother from ‘the monsters’ by firing makeshift crossbows
and backpack catapults at random, getting hissy fits every
two seconds and in general behaving like a fulltime fuckedup psycho. The Babadook itself doesn’t show up before
halfway through the movie, when it starts haunting Amelia,
so most of the film consists purely of Samuel doing something batshit crazy, Amelia trying to fix it, breaking down
in frustration, then pulling Samuel home, trying to scold
him and finally giving up, waiting for the next episode.
It’s a large chunk of the film that doesn’t really
work. While actor Noah Wiseman does an admirable job
for a child actor, Samuel is written in such an inane way, it
becomes impossible to sympathise with him in the slightest. While this makes Amelia’s slow decent into madness
more believable, it also makes for a poorly paced film, and
one where I at the end almost wished someone would just
stick a sock in his feeding hole and be done with it.
It also means, that when The Babadook starts
haunting Samuel, he doesn’t really change behaviour, since
he has been annoying from the get go. Look, I understand
writing a child for a horror film must be incredibly hard,
especially in a film where the child at some point becomes
possessed. Now, the reason Linda Blair’s demonic possession in the 1973 classic The Excorcist worked so well,
was because she started out sympathetic. And so, when
she would start to act out that shit was effective. Because
that was a change in her character that didn’t fit, one that
felt unnatural and out of place. With Samuel, the only
thing the director, Jennifer Kent, goes for seems to be ‘be
a complete brat from beginning to end, that’ll scare them!’
and it just doesn’t work.
It says something that the saving grace for his
character is when Amelia decides to begin to drug him. At
that point I almost felt more relieved than Amelia.
When the aforementioned Babadook finally starts
to rear his head in door, the film gets a lot better for it.
This is mostly due to a couple of key factors, firstly Essie
Davis, the actress who plays Amelia. She completely nails
the stress, the breakdowns and the final mania the charac-

ter goes through. In the same film she embodies both Shelly Duvall in The Shining
perfectly as the shy, quivering mother and Jack Nicholson in… well in The Shining
also, as the loony maniac who chases down her own child with a glee that is almost
infectious in the third act of the film.
The second thing the film has going for it is the Babadook itself. So many
films that focus on monsters fuck up the reveal completely by having a monster
that is badly designed. As I stated before, the film definitely does not rely on jump
scares, almost to a fault, but it sure as hell isn’t afraid of showing its best hand,
when it comes to its monster. It’s not just that the Babadook is shown multiple
times, sometimes front and center, it’s that despite of this, it’s absolutely terrifying.
The designers of this thing seems to have been heavily inspired by German expressionism during the 1920’s which saw such films as Das Cabinet des Caligari (1920)
and Nosferatu, Eine Symmphonie des Grauens and with its long nails and heavy
overcoat and the way it seems to spawn from the shadows it looks eerily close to
the monster from the latter film. Its deep voice sounds very reminiscent of the
Jiggsaw from the Saw series but scratchier and… I don’t know… stranger. Even
thinking about the Babadook now gives me the creeps.

Technically, the film crew has managed to do a lot with very little. The

soundtrack is minimalistic and adds to the creeping sense of dread and suspense.
The special effects are mostly relegated to the scenes with the Babadook which
works with a few exceptions. In one scene in particular Samuel is flung around in a
bed room which looks completely ridiculous and out of character for the film. On
the other hand another scene has the Babadook climbing on the ceiling which is
clearly done practical instead of CGI and reminded me of one of the iconic death
scenes from the original Nightmare On Elmstreet.
As you’ve probably caught on to by now, The Babadook is a film that is
very fond of wearing its many inspirations on its sleeve. From the overarching plot,
that is right out of The Shining, the Babadooks itself, which appearance wise is almost identical to the Nosferatu’s, the way it is spawned which is straight out of Ringu (1998) – right down to a creepy phonecall the victim receives – and the idyllic
suburbia in which the film takes place contrasted with the claustrophobic interiors
of Amelia’s dingy house which is very reminiscent of the setting from Halloween
(1978).

It is clear however, that The
Babadook wants to be more than a trailer-show of the very best from the horror
scene. No, this film clearly wants to be
a think piece. This need and want to be
something more than just a genre film
is sadly also why the film stumbles both
in pacing and character development of
Samuel. Look, I get that the Babadook is
supposed to be an allegory for domestic
violence, this looming demon that can
‘posses’ the parent at any time to do horrid, terrible things to the one person he
or she was supposed to protect. And I’m
also aware that for this movie in particular, The Babadook is an analogue of the
grief both Samuel and Amelia feels due
to the loss of their beloved father and
husband. And that’s fine. I love a film

that dares to be more than just the sum
of its parts. The problem is that this analogue is so heavy-handed and so much
of the film is dedicated to it, it stands
in the way of what could have been an
amazing possession film.
Despite its many flaws, The
Babadook is in some ways a great example of how exciting and fresh the horror
genre is today. It clearly knows its roots,
it knows why horror works, but it also
veers its head in new directions in search
for what might be next for the genre.
The part where it stumbles is sadly in its
attempt to be more than ‘just a horror
film’ and while this certainly doesn’t
doom the film, it does stop it from becoming something truly special.

5 tips to get
your creative
career started
For crazy and quirky
creators out there

Some tips from Garde Magazine to all the up
and coming creative people out there

Garde Magazine has been hunting
creators around the world for more than a
year. We know how to find your good side,
understand what makes you and your work
unique and constantly strive to bring out the
best for you and the creative world. Most
importantly, we are a media company. We
know what the press likes.

Top: Cover of creator Michael Chiu’s solo
exhibition postcard
Below: Back of the postcard, includes project
description and contact information

So, if you’d like to join our fabulous,
artsy, edgy, cool, amazing and humble (hehehe) magazine then here are only 5 suggestions we hope you’ll take into consideration
and perform for us:
1.
WE NEED:
•Your website (searchable on Google).
•Your contact details (no fake ones, we aren’t going to kidnap you so please be reachable).
YOU DO NOT NEED:
•To spend money.
•To make an entirely pseudo name, unless
this is how you want live your life (go for it
if it is…we won’t judge much).

BUT YOU DO NEED:
•To be creative, impressive and understandable because after all, you are a creator and
people love that. Be the best you can be.

immediate attention. So more photos, less
text, but still don’t forget the text!

2.
WE ALSO NEED:
•Photos of your magnificent works so we
can flaunt them for you.
•Description of your works so we can match
them to your works and explain whatever
bizarre or gorgeous creations you have made
to our readers.
•80% pictures, 20% text (although 90% pictures and 10% text is ideal).

3.
YOU NEED TO:
•Get off your backsides and be proactive!
Chances like these come to people some of
the time, but if you actively look for ways
to show off your work then you won’t have
to be a miserable couch potato and sit and
wait for chances to happen. Pave your way to
your ultimate goal.
•If you really want to feature your creations
here’s a kickstarter: concepts@gardemagazine.com

NOTE:
•We totally understand that your projects
have a lot of meaning and require a lot of
explanations - we love them all. However,
people are very visually stimulated and endless text in a magazine simply does not grab

An example of Creatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s namecard: comes with all information required for others to get into contact.

Screen capture of Creator Yves Francoisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; website. A functionable website is one of the most important tool for
creators to be found.

often cannot explain itself no matter how much you want it
to. (People are subjective like that). Doing this simply allows
people to get to know you and your work better and isn’t this
what you want?
•Be as explicit as possible. Be precise and concise.
5.
MORE FOR YOU TO DO:
•Produce as much as possible. Life is tough and creativity
doesn’t flow like a waterfall (we understand). But if you are
active with quality and quantity, people will never get sick of
you.
•People who like your work want to see more of it.
•Your work may not be for everyone, but there are always
some wonderful people (or weirdos) out there who will appreciate your creativity.
Being known and having your works shown doesn’t
mean you’re not being yourself anymore. It doesn’t mean
you’re selling your soul. We believe creativity should be shared
with everyone. And we’re helping you do it for free.

Story teller

KURO
KURO
EX
EX
MACHINA
MACHINA
by ODKST

TEIL 2

Extant Taxxon
There is a city. It is high above the ground, almost amongst the
clouds, on endless pillars. It is a city of platforms, large and flat, in all
kinds of colors. The platforms have no railings, it’s a freefall, straight
down for what seems like eternity. But there is a bottom; the planet is
completely green, covered in fields and tremendous forests.
Among the clouds, a race of aliens live on these platforms.
The aliens are made up of two parts, attached in the middle to form
a symbiotic-parasitic partnership. There is a thinking part and a part
made of meat that mainly processes food and feels the winds. These
aliens make up the majority of the planet’s inhabitants.
David and Dawn were walking in this city, David first. They
were headed up a stairway (also without railings) that seemed to continue forever upwards. There were many stairs like this in the colorful
city; not steep at all, just with an endless row of steps until the next
platform. The view was vertigous, David told Dawn not to look down,
but she did anyway. Her blue eyes widened. “It’s so far to fall!” she
gasped. David kept walking up the stairs without replying.
It was a clear blue day. Not many of the aliens were out; there
was no one coming down the stairs to meet them, and the platform
they ascended from was all but empty. The large, double-bladed axe,
which was strapped over David’s back, flashed white in the sun.
They were an odd sight, these two lonely humans, blond and
pale and dressed in blue, carrying medieval weaponry as they climbed
the endless, slightly curved stairway. The steps were of varying colors,
red and blue and green; it all reminded of pieces of Lego, the whole

city was like this, with its thousands of platforms all connecting.
Dawn was carrying a backpack, pine green and completely stuffed
with things; brass buckles and belts covered the bulging sack. A harvesting
sickle firmly attached to her right hip, she climbed without flinching, her fit,
young body barely breaking a sweat in the morning sun. David led the way
as the wind made ripples in his short, blond bangs, his back straight and his
ocean blue eyes constantly scanning the stairs ahead of them. They were alert
and focused, his face as straight as his back, his facial features as well defined
as those of his sister. Their pale skin was smooth and unspoiled by stormy
weather or harrowing events; these two adolescents had not had a hard life,
lacking both in emotional stress and the toil of regular folk. They walked with
confidence through this strange city, whatever misfortune had led them here,
it had not broken their spirits, at least not in any way that was revealed by
their physical shape or the cadence of their movements.
Dawn, whose eyes were fixed on a point slightly down and in front of
her, spoke.
”Hey.”
”What?”
”Who do you think – would win in a fight, between a lion, and a
tiger?”
David didn’t answer for a while. They advanced up the steps.
“Don’t know. Have to think about it.”
She made a face. “Bore.”

The blue sky was getting clearer, white clouds thinning and dissolving.
It was a bright morning.
We’re somewhere else now. An old-fashioned pub, smoggy and dank.
The lights are low under the low ceiling. A man who sounds like David
Carradine is sitting on one side of a wooden table. David and Dawn are on
the other side. The man is older, possibly middle-age. He’s wearing a black
suit and a dark tie of indeterminate color. The man says, “So you realize how
much is at stake. I’m not saying it will be easy. Jobs like these never are. But
rest assured that you are doing God’s work.” David nods. Dawn is watching
the man intently, eyes indigo in the darkness. They are lit only by the fluttering lights of small candles on the wooden table. David asks, “What’s the
end game? What’s in it for us?” The older man smiles. In his coarse voice, he
says, “More than you can imagine. And”, - he turns away from the siblings,
reaching for something under the table – “more than I can possibly show you
at this moment. Not here.”
Dawn’s face looks disappointed. She glances at her brother. Ignoring
her, David says: “You said, last time, that it’d be unprotected. You said it
would be ‘no biggie’. That’s what you said.”
Still not meeting David’s eyes, the older man produces a suitcase from under
the table. It is an old-fashioned, rectangular, chestnut brown Samsonite, decorated with gold buckles. He places the suitcase on the table, sliding it towards
David. “Half now,” he says. “Half after the job is done.” David places one
hand on the case, pulling it to himself. “Who?” he asks, simply.
The man smiles. He is an aging fox in the candlelight, grey sideburns rough
and unkempt. His forehead is full of wrinkles, his green eyes ringed with
darkness. The man’s name: Joe Bob Fenestre.
Flashforward to the staircase. The sky is now a perfect blue. The
siblings are still by themselves, nearing the end of the stairs. Dawn is panting
slightly. There is a dog on the stairs, a Siberian husky, lying on its side at one

of the steps. It is a big, greyish-white canine, well trimmed and fast asleep. Its
eyes are shut and it’s not moving; you could easily mistake it for dead.
David spots the animal. “Dog”, he says. Dawn looks up, indifferent.
He takes one more step up the stairs, hesitant. The dog remains immobile.
He keeps his gaze at it, carefully lifting one boot and putting it down right
next to the dog’s fuzzy, grey stomach. The dog doesn’t move.
David softly lifts his other boot, over and across the animal, then puts it
down. The dog yelps. Its eyes open, watching David alertly. He quickly lifts
his boot, freeing the dog’s left paw. David is close to losing his balance, leaning backwards on the small, unprotected step, almost completely dominated
by the motionless dog. He waves his arms in circles through the air, once,
twice, then regains his posture. Dawn, who has been staring at him throughout, exhales.
“Easy”, she says.
David says nothing, giving the dog one short look, then continuing
up the stairs. Dawn follows, leaping nimbly over the Siberian husky and its
selected spot. The dog flicks an ear, shuts its eyes and seems to go back to
sleep.
The climb continues. They reach the top of the stairs, stepping
through a square hole in the massive plateau above them. Once out on this
plateau, which is gold with swaths of dark blue, they stop for a minute to
rest. This level is empty, just like the one now so far below them. David and
Dawn are standing in the middle.
“That damn dog”, David says. Dawn looks at him, curious. “What
about it?” she says. David takes a look around, panting from exertion. “What
was it even doing there?” He pants. “Damn near crushed its paw.” He looks
at Dawn.

She shrugs.
“So?”
David looks away, then back at her. He seems unsure of what to say.
His sister keeps watching him, uncomprehending. He eventually turns away
from her, surveying the sky. The double-bladed axe glimmers in the sunlight.
Dawn looks at her brother’s back as if trying to unveil a great mystery. It is
very quiet on the platform.
***
The bird flies, relentless, miles above the dark and empty street. The
skyscrapers continue their rigid salute, an alley of massive, black buildings,
like angry policemen. The sky is pitch black. There is little wind, despite the
great altitude. The metropolis sleeps – or is it dead? We have seen no one,
not a trace of life, since the young man at the balcony. No cars go along the
motorway, so far below the bird of prey. Its red tail is barely visible in the
darkness. The rusty color seems black, too. Still the bird flaps on, tirelessly,
apparently in absolute awareness of its goal.
This bird’s name: Kore.
***
The man named Joe Bob Fenestre is holding up a small, brass key.
“This”, he says, “will open the door to a hotel room. The room is nr 17, at
the Norwegian Hotel. This is in the center of the city.” He hands the brass
key over to David, who takes it. “When you’re inside, walk in the bedroom.
In the suitcase to the left you’ll find my favorite axe.” He winks at David. “I
know you’ll wear it with pride.” David’s face is indifferent. “As for you”, he
turns to Dawn, “we’ll have to find something more delicate.” Dawn looks as

if she’s going to retort, but David puts a silent hand on her arm, and she says
nothing. Joe Bob Fenestre leans back on his side of the table. He lifts a glass
of whiskey to his lips; it’s hard to make out in the dim light, but they are broken and cracked, like a gravely road. Grey hairs surround them in thick, bushy
layers.
Taking a sip of his drink, the old man makes a satisfied noise. David
is staring at him, not saying a word. Joe Bob eventually meets his gaze, subsequently putting one wrinkled hand inside his jacket. Grunting slightly, he
pulls out a small bag, brown paper bag, a black string tied around its neck. He
places the bag on the table.
“Divine wisdom and superhuman strength”, he says. It is unclear if
he is speaking tongue-in-cheek or serious. Either way, David grabs the paper
bag and slips it into his pocket. “Thanks, Mr. Fenestre.”
Dawn is still silently watching the older man. Her indigo blue eyes
glimmer in the candlelight. She says nothing. Mr. Fenestre looks at her, then
back at David, and says, “Any other questions?” Without hesitating, David
says: “Who do you work for?”
There is the ghost of a smile in Joe Bob Fenestre’s old and harrowed
face.

“Nice try.”

On the blue-and-gold platform, Dawn takes a deep breath, closing
her eyes. “Oooh, it’s so fresh!” she exclaims. After a second or two, David
replies, “Yeah.” He is looking into the distance, surveying the abandoned
platform. Dawn looks at him, then turns away. She performs an impromptu cartwheel, bare feet supporting her flawlessly upon landing. David keeps
watching the surroundings. He doesn’t appear to be thinking about anything
in particular. Looking back at her brother from a bit further away, Dawn says: